have you ever learned anything useful from the Backroom?

[Navaros]

like the title says. have you? have you not?

discuss.

[Husar]

No. I may have learned a few things, but nothing useful.

[Al Khalifah]

Yeah. I've learnt not to trust anyone.

[PanzerJaeger]

Yes, Ive greatly improved my understanding of the Israeli-Arab conflict.. and some other things.

[ICantSpellDawg]

totally

i learn useful things everyday
understanding the world more comprehensively is useful in so many ways

[JAG]

I have learnt a lot of useful information for my studies as well as a better understanding of issues. Seeing what different peoples points of views brings to a subject has helped me develop my opinions on matters and that has been very useful.

[Idaho]

I've learnt that you're all %*&#s!

[Kaiser of Arabia]

Yup...I learned that Navaros hates the US...amongst other things...lol

[ichi]

Yes,

Lots of factual information

Many interesting spins on controversial subjects. By listening to people talk about their personal experiences with difficult ideas, things become clearer

and of course, that reason and words only go so far, that there are some things that some people will not see until they are ready to see

ichi :bow:

[Byzantine Prince]

No. But it's led to some great websites that I wouldn't have read otherwise, like the one about procrastination, and the one about getting chicks by being an asshole. Great stuff. ~:cheers:

[Gawain of Orkeny]

Ive learned more here in the last two years than I have in the last 10 anywhere else. This place keeps you on your toes and you hear viewpoints that you never would say talking among your friensds an co workers. Also if you havent learned better debating skills since youve been here your in a sorry state.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

I learned to make up my own mind on things instead of going by what the general opinion in my family is.

[scooter_the_shooter]

I was kind of moderate before I came here....but after hearing the great conservative arguments I joined up with them. ~:cheers:

PS I also learned the UN is evil, they want my guns and my freedom :furious3:

[Big_John]

not exactly useful in a practical sense, but i've learned some interesting things. though, all-in-all this is the back room in a smilie:
http://deephousepage.com/smilies/deadhorse.gif

(can you tell who is who?)

[bmolsson]

Not really...

[Hurin_Rules]

Yes.

Specifically, I've learned a fair bit about the laws of war from Redleg and others. Pindar and Saturnus help on points of logic.

More generally, I've learned quite a bit regarding the perspectives of people from other countries. I've learned a lot about what makes conservatives tick--probably far more than I ever wanted to know, LOL! But I think it's been good for me to have to consider their ideas rather than just dismissing them out of hand. Keeps me more honest, intellectually. And once in a while they have a good idea too ~:cheers:

[Papewaio]

http://deephousepage.com/smilies/deadhorse.gif

(can you tell who is who?)

Yes, Only because my wife says I'm hung like one. ~:cool: ~D
----

To keep my temper, to post erase, walk away and then try again.

That I have probably alienated the guys I would most like to be stuck on a Island with.

That I cannot believe how afraid most people are of differences, yet at the same time most of the guys go gaga over the babe thread and I doubt our Backroom posters are supermodels... so I assume that if you can enjoy at least one difference you should be able to learn more.

Typing speed has increase, yet my posting style has changed from full paragraphs to sentences. Mainly because when posting it is easier to review.

[Byzantine Prince]

http://deephousepage.com/smilies/deadhorse.gif

(can you tell who is who?)
Well Gawain is the one wipping and hitting the horse from the back(god knows what else he's doing to that poor thing ~;)), and Kaiser/Redleg are in the front tearing out it's nostrils till it bleeds to death. The guy on the top is JAG, yelling at the horse and hitting it lightly because anything more is against his socialist ideals. ~D ~D ~D

[Gawain of Orkeny]

You almost have it right but only if that is a Jackass representing the democratic party. ~D

[kiwitt]

I have learnt that there is more than one "type" of American. However, a lot of this "conservatism" is disenheartening, but I now understand the US more.

[Reverend Joe]

I have learned that the US is doomed to be either torn in half by conservatives and liberals or to become a facist state.

Not that some of you *cough*(capitalists)*cough* would mind...

[KukriKhan]

I have learned thousands of little things about people, places, politics and culture, from a personal perspective that simply cannot be had from any other media.

I have learned that 200 or so people will keep coming back to this place to cuss and discuss the day's news, and what it might mean.

I have learned that those 200 or so people search for the Truth in issues where truth is obscured. And they seek honorable consideration of their views, and find it here - their opinions might be skewered or criticized, but they are considered; they're taken seriously by the other 200 or so regulars here. And those 200 or so also seek the enjoyment of taking part in a discussion where their views aren't dismissed, and where they can contribute freely, without fear of humiliation, violent retribution, or obtuse censorship.

Truth, Honor, Fun. Not just a slogan. A different way of looking at the world.

I like the joint. Or I wouldn't keep coming back.

[Devastatin Dave]

I've learned that even the person that you are a total polar opposite of can be a good friend that yo can care about even though you've never seen him/her in your life. And I've also learned that my scrotum looks better shaved, uh, wait a minute, wrong forum... ~D

[Papewaio]

And I've also learned that my scrotum looks better shaved, uh, wait a minute, wrong forum... ~D

Well I was going to have Takoyaki for lunch... now I might go for something else ~:eek:

[Ianofsmeg16]

I learned to think before i speak, otherwise be embaressed or get flamed, or both!

[Radier]

I learned to think before i speak, otherwise be embaressed or get flamed, or both!

I agree to that ~:)

[Franconicus]

I've learned a lot, especially about the way Americans think, what is important for them. Sometimes it was really amazing, just could not believe it. I also noted that the American are sharply devided into cons and libs. And that the cons hate the libs. I also learned that the Europeans are much closer than they may think. And that there is a big gap between Europe and the US. And it is not just because of Bush. This gap causes a lot of trouble and will cause more.

I met people with silly ideas here, and narrow minded people. But there are also people with total different ideas than I have who I respect a lot.

And of course I hope to learn English here some day. Then I will argue a hole in every neocons brain ~:cool:

[rasoforos]

I ve learnt that if 1% of the planet's population thinks they are 70% nothing good can come out of it...

Seriously now, the tavern used to have really nice conversations some years ago and I learnt a lot of things mostly about cultural differences and political issues. However it seems stagnant now...Most new threads just bring a deja vu and I dont care much about the racism fascism and religious fanaticism that has invaded this place... :embarassed: I hope that things will get better and thats why I keep coming back, and things ARE better than what they were a year ago.

[Slyspy]

I've learnt that the world is full of fools, and that change is not always for the better.

[Radier]

I have learned that only those who search for truth are able to change their opinions...

[Blodrast]

I guess my position would be somewhere in the middle between KukriKhan's, and BigJohn's (minus the pic ~D ). I definitely learned stuff in here; its degree of usefulness is, as always, difficult to appreciate. Is it useful for one to know some stuff about, say, another country/culture/ideology ? How do you appraise that ?

Anyway, yes, I believe it is one of the best possible environments of this shape there can be. There is a lot of maturity, moderation, logic and common-sense, educated opinions (and I don't mean "educated" in the academical sense), and humour.

There's some crap, too, of course. ~D
It ain't perfect: there's people with fixed ideas or that refuse to accept the facts even when they smack them over their bottom; there's people with weird (to me) idelogies, or ways of perceiving the world. But overall, most of the time, it tends to work out a nice balance. Not always, mind you.

I also get bored sometimes of beating the same old couple of horses to death...same arguments over and over again...same people stating the same things (naturally)...

But nothing is perfect, and I never expected perfection when I came here. And although at a first glance I'm sure the Backroom looks pretty damn hostile to most newcomers, if one sticks around, one gets used to it.
(Man, I don't make many posts, but why the hell do I need to make a friggin novel out of each post ? :dizzy2: )

Overall, yeah, I like the place, and (most of ~;) ) the people, and it's got its own specific flavour, that I enjoy most of the time. All in all, I believe it's one of the best things of its kind, and surely the best I've found yet. The light moderation is way more lenient than anywhere else I've seen, and, most of the time, this allows for a high quality of discussions, and a feeling that you can speek freely without getting worried that your posts will be censored or your mouth shut. Kudos to our moderators, past, present and future - great job ! :bow:

I hope this place remains open and as pleasant (with a bit of spice, now and then :tongue2: ), because usually highly enjoy coming down here, for a ~:cheers: with you fellas ! ~:grouphug:

[Blodrast]

hmm, BigJohn, will you enlighten us by deciphering the pic in your post ? Who's the cast ? ~D

Dave: where did you learn that ?! I definitely wanna see that thread !!...

[Big_John]

that pic is the magical gift that keeps on giving. it's like a single ray of sunshine in a dark world. it means different things to different people, like a beautiful tulip.

in other words:
hmm, BigJohn, will you enlighten us by deciphering the pic in your post ?nope. :saint:

[Blodrast]

damn, I hate you. And tulips are boring. So there. Yeah.

[Kagemusha]

Id say yes.First off all i have realized how bad my english is.When i should say something very complicated,i get frustrated because of the lack of my voculabority.But i think i have learned something in almost every conversation ive had here in the backroom,or not. ~;)

[edyzmedieval]

Yeah, learned a lot of things.

I learned that JAG is a socialist with almost 11.000 posts and is not a Senior Member, Kaiser and Redleg are similar guys, PanzerJaeger is Hitler's friend, Proletariat is my'lady democratic, Gawain likes to be the Bronx guy of the forum ( ~D ) and Byzantine Prince is the ironic guy who always gets banned.

Simple as that.

Oh, and Big John is the photo-guy.

[swirly_the_toilet_fish]

I have because it feels good to get into heated debates and learn both sides of a story and make my decisions from there. ~D

[Divinus Arma]

And I have learned that a "Swirly toilet fish" is not, in fact, a creative expression for human feces.

[swirly_the_toilet_fish]

Hooray! ~D